Combination bottle and bottle cap opener

ABSTRACT

A fully functioning bottle includes a tubular neck portion with an opening closed by a crown cap, a tubular base portion, and a tubular transition portion connecting the neck portion to the base portion. The bottle includes a seamless outer surface having a channel positioned along the length of the bottle body. The surface is also deformed to provide a lip, which projects above the channel to form the opener. The channel has sufficient depth to receive a crown cap positioned at the end of a second container body. The cap frictionally engages the lip, so that cap is removed from second container body when the body is rotated about the capped end.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to method and apparatus for opening a bottle opener and, more particularly, to method and apparatus for providing a bottle having an integral bottle opener positioned on a seamless surface of the bottle body.

2. Description of the Related Art

The use of container opening devices or bottle cap openers is known in the prior art. Bottle opening devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of removing caps from bottles are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. Such designs include the ornamental design for a bottle shaped bottle opener that is disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 433,298.

Bottle openers are typically small and are easily lost. As a result, several devices have been designed to ensure that a bottle opener is in close proximity to the bottles in need of opening. Such devices include bottle cartons or other multi-container packages that include integral bottle openers, such as the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,335,814 and 6,295,894.

Separately formed bottle openers are also commonly attached to bottles or to other containers. These bottle openers may be attached to a bottle cap or to the bottle body itself. U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,746 discloses a bottle cap having an opener that is integral with the cap.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,725,726 discloses a bottle having an opener shaped recess positioned in a bottle neck. An opener is inserted into the recess. The opener must be separated from the container to remove the closed cap from the bottle.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,347,734 discloses a bottle having a metal opener that attaches to the neck. The disclosed opener does not have to be separated from the original bottle to open another bottle. However, the opener is separately formed from a different material.

Bottle or container openers have also been formed on a bottom of a bottle or a container. U.S. Pat. No. 1,755,086 discloses a tumbler having a recess on the tumbler bottom. The recess forms a bottle opener. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,992,574 and 3,236,126 disclose bottles that include openers positioned at the base of the bottle body. U.S. Pat. No. 2,745,301 discloses a bottle and a can that include an opener positioned at the base of the bottle or of the can. These openers must be placed at particular positions along the bottle or container body due to structural limitations, material mechanical property limitations, or fabrication process limitations.

Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,322,843 discloses two embodiments of containers that include openers that must be placed at particular positions along the container body. One embodiment has an opener formed at the bottom of the container body. The other embodiment has a cylindrical outer surface that extends from the container body, so that a recess forms at an intersection of the container neck to the body. A flange extends from the outer surface to form the opener. The openers can only be positioned at the intersection of the neck and the bottle body or at the base of the bottle body because the containers must form a recess. As a result, there is a need a for an improved bottle opener.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a container. A frusto-conical tubular body has an upper end portion for receiving a first crown cap and a lower end portion forming a base for supporting the body. The body has a seamless outer surface extending from the upper end portion to the lower end portion. An integral container opener is located at a preselected position between the upper end portion and the lower end portion. The container opener includes a depression in the seamless outer surface and a lip extending therefrom. The lip is positioned over the depression forming a recess in the seamless surface. The recess receives a second crown cap so that the lip frictionally engages the second crown cap to facilitate removal of the second crown cap from another container.

Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a fluid holding apparatus. A first crown cap is provided. A body has a frustum shaped neck portion, a cylindrical base portion, a transition portion positioned between the neck portion and the base portion, and an inner chamber for storing fluids. The neck portion supports the crown cap with an opening for receiving fluids positioned thereon so that the crown cap closes the opening. The neck portion opening communicates with the inner chamber. The transition portion connects the neck portion to the base portion to form a continuous frusto-conical outer surface thereon. The base portion includes an annular trough extending around a circumference of the outer surface and a lip projecting from the outer surface to cover the trough partially. The lip and the trough form an opener for removing a second crown cap from another fluid holding apparatus.

Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for opening bottles. A frusto-conical tubular bottle body having a neck projecting from one end, a base positioned at the opposite end, and a seamless continuous outer surface extending from the neck to the base is provided. A channel is formed in the body outer surface in a preselected position along the length of the bottle body with sufficient depth to receive an annular flange extending from a crown shaped bottle cap. A portion of the outer surface adjacent to the channel is deformed to form a lip extending over the channel with an inner surface for frictionally engaging the crown shaped bottle cap.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a combination bottle and bottle opener that includes an integral opener positioned at a predetermined position on the bottle body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a container having a seamless outer surface with an integral opener positioned on that surface.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combination bottle and bottle opener with a body having sufficient strength to support an integral bottle opener positioned at any point on the bottle outer surface.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an aluminum bottle having a seamless outer surface with a bottle opener positioned on that surface.

These and other objects of the present invention will be more completely described and disclosed in the following specification, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary isometric view of a combination bottle and bottle opener, illustrating the opener positioned on the bottle body.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary isometric view of the combination bottle and bottle opener shown in FIG. 1, illustrating a second bottle positioned in close proximity.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view of the opener positioned on the bottle body shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross section view in side elevation of the combination bottle and bottle opener shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary isometric view of another embodiment of a combination bottle and bottle opener.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary isometric view of a further embodiment of a combination bottle and bottle opener.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary isometric view of another embodiment of a combination bottle and bottle opener.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of a lip and a trough of the combination bottle and bottle opener shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary isometric view of another embodiment of a combination bottle and bottle opener.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary isometric view of a further embodiment of a combination bottle and bottle opener.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary isometric view of another embodiment of a combination bottle and bottle opener.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary isometric view of a further embodiment of a combination bottle and bottle opener.

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary isometric view of another embodiment of a combination bottle and bottle opener.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings and, particularly, to FIGS. 1-4, there is illustrated a fluid holding apparatus or container generally designated by the numeral 10. The container 10 is a combination bottle and bottle opener that is used to open another bottle 12 by removing a crown cap 14 from the bottle top 16. Both containers 10 and 12 are fully functioning bottles. Preferably, the container 12 is identical to the container 10. Alternatively, the container 12 is similar to or dissimilar from the configuration of container 10.

The container 10 includes a tubular frusto-conical shaped body 18 having a neck portion 20, a tubular base portion 22, and a tubular transition portion 24. The neck portion 20 is essentially frustum shaped with an elongated section 28 that includes an opening 26 for receiving fluids to fill an internal chamber 30, shown in FIG. 4, within the bottle body 18. The opening 26 allows fluids to be poured from the container 10 when it is rotated, tilted, or tipped. The neck portion 20 also receives a crown cap 14 that covers the opening 26 to keep the fluids stored in the container 10.

The base portion 22 is essentially cylindrical in shape. The base portion 22 includes an essentially flat bottom 32 that allows the container 10 to rest in an upright position to facilitate efficient storage or display. The transition portion 24 connects the neck portion 20 to the base portion 22.

The body 18 is formed using conventional manufacturing processes, such as extrusion, casting, or forging. The manufacturing process provides the body 18 with an essentially seamless outer surface 34 that extends from the opening 26 to the bottom 32. The outer surface 26 includes a depression or recess that forms an integral container opener 36, shown in detail in FIG. 3. The opener 36 is located in a preselected position between the opening 26 and the bottom 32. Preferably, the opener 36 is positioned below the transition portion 24 on the base portion 22.

The body 18 is made from any suitable material having sufficient strength to remove the crown cap 14 from the bottle top 16 without deforming the opener 36. The material must also have sufficient ductility to allow the crown cap 14 to be removed without causing brittle failure of the opener 36 or the bottle body 18. Preferably, the body 18 is made from a suitable metal or metal alloy. Most preferably, the body 18 is made from an aluminum alloy.

In operation as shown in FIG. 2, the cap 14 is inserted into the opener 36. The cap 14 frictionally engages the opener 36. The opposite end (not shown) of the bottle 16 is rotated about the capped end to remove the crown cap 14 from the bottle.

Now referring to FIG. 5, there is illustrated another embodiment of the present container generally designated by the numeral 38. The container 38 includes a body 40 having a frustum shaped neck portion 42, a cylindrical base portion 44, and a transition portion 46 connecting the neck portion 42 to the base portion 44.

The base portion 44 includes an annular trough or channel 48 that extends around a circumference of an outer surface 50. The surface 50 includes a lip 52 that projects downwardly relative to the neck portion 42. The lip 52 partially covers the trough 48 to form a bottle opener 54.

Now referring to FIG. 6, there is illustrated another container 56 of the present invention in which like elements are also identified by like numerals shown in FIGS. 1-4. The container 56 includes a body 58 having a frustum shaped neck portion 42, a cylindrical base portion 60, and a transition portion 46 connecting the neck portion 42 to the base portion 60.

The base portion 60 shown in FIG. 6 includes an annular channel or trough 62 extending around a circumference of a portion of an outer surface 64 essentially positioned adjacent to the bottom 66 of the body 58. Unlike the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a lip 68 projects upwardly from the bottom 66 to form another opener 70.

The opener 70 is formed by deforming the seamless outer surface 64 of the body 58 in a preselected position along the bottle body length to form the trough or channel 62. The trough or channel 62 has sufficient depth as shown in FIG. 6 to receive an annular flange extending from a crown shaped bottle cap 14. Next, the outer surface 64 adjacent to the channel 62 is deformed to form the lip 68, so that it extends over the channel 62 to provide frictional engagement with the bottle cap 14.

Liquid is inserted into the bottle body 58 after the opener 70 is formed. The bottle body 58 is sealed with a crown cap 71. The liquid is stored in the bottle body 58 until the capped end is inserted by another opener (not shown).

Referring to FIGS. 7-8, there is illustrated another container 72 of the present invention in which like elements are also identified by like numerals shown in FIGS. 1-6. The container 72 includes a body 74 having a frustum shaped neck portion 42, a cylindrical base portion 76, and a transition portion 46 connecting the neck portion 42 to the base portion 76.

Unlike the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the base portion 76 shown in FIGS. 7-8 includes an opener 78 that is positioned essentially in the middle of the base portion 76. The opener 78 includes a lip 80 that extends from an outer surface 82 downwardly relative to the neck portion 42.

As shown in FIG. 8, the lip 80 includes an outer surface 84 and an inner surface 86. The bottle outer surface 82 and the lip outer surface 84 form a continuous outer surface. The lip inner surface 86 frictionally engages a second crown cap 88 to facilitate removal of the second crown cap 88 from another container 90 that is essentially identical to the container 72.

Referring now to FIG. 9, there is shown another container 92 in accordance with the present invention. The container 92 is similar to the container 72 shown in FIGS. 7-8 in that container 92 includes an annular opener 94 formed from a channel 96 and a lip 98 essentially positioned in the center of a base portion 100. Unlike the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7-8, the lip 98 projects upwardly relative to a neck portion 42.

Referring now to FIGS. 10-11, there is shown two additional embodiments of the present invention generally designated by the numerals 102 and 104. Each container 102, 104 includes an essentially identical neck portion 42. Each container 102 and 104 also includes a transition portion 106, 108, a base portion 110, 112, and an opener 114, 116. The opener 114 is positioned at the intersection of the transition portion 106 and the base portion 110 with a lip 118 projecting downwardly relative to the neck portion 42. The opener 116 is positioned at the intersection of the transition portion 108 and the base portion 112 with a lip 120 projecting upwardly relative to the neck portion 42.

Referring now to FIG. 12, there is shown another container 122 of the present invention. The container 122 includes a tubular neck portion 124, a tubular transition portion 126, and a tubular base portion 128. An opener 130 is positioned at the intersection of the neck portion 124 and the transition portion 126.

The neck portion 124 is essentially frustum shaped with an upper section 132 and a peripheral edge 134. The diameter of the upper section 132 is substantially smaller than the diameter of the peripheral edge 134. The diameter of the peripheral edge 134 is substantially greater than the diameter of an upper section 136 of the transition portion 124, so that the peripheral edge 134 extends over the transition portion 124 to form the opener 130.

The neck portion 124 shown in FIG. 12 also includes a seamless outer surface 138 and an inner surface 140. The peripheral edge 134 separates the outer surface 138 from the inner surface 140. The inner surface 140 includes an annular groove positioned adjacent to the peripheral edge 134. The groove has sufficient depth to receive a crown cap 142 that closes an essentially identical container 144. The depth of the groove facilitates the frictional engagement of the inner surface 140 and the crown cap 142 to facilitate removal from the container 144.

Referring now to FIG. 13, there is shown another container 146 of the present invention. The container 146 includes a tubular neck portion 148, a tubular transition portion 150, and a tubular base portion 128. An opener 152 is positioned at the intersection of the neck portion 148 and the transition portion 150.

Unlike the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the neck portion 148 shown in FIG. 13 is essentially bulbous in shape with a relatively wide middle section 154 positioned between a narrow upper section 156 and a narrow lower section 158. The diameter of the lower section 158 is substantially smaller than the diameter of an upper section 160 of the transition portion 150, so that the transition portion 150 extends over the neck portion 148 to form the opener 152.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle, preferred construction and mode of operation of our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiments. However, it should be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described. 

1. A container comprising: a frusto-conical tubular body having an upper end portion for receiving a first crown cap and a lower end portion forming a base for supporting said body, said body having a seamless outer surface extending from said upper end portion to said lower end portion, an integral container opener being located at a preselected position between said upper end portion and said lower end portion, said container opener including a depression in said seamless outer surface and a lip extending therefrom, said lip being positioned over said depression forming a recess in said seamless surface, and said recess receiving a second crown cap so that said lip frictionally engages the second crown cap to facilitate removal of the second crown cap from another container.
 2. A container as set forth in claim 1 which includes: a transition portion positioned between said upper end portion and said lower end portion, and said opener being positioned between said transition portion and said lower end portion.
 3. A container as set forth in claim 1 which includes: said depression forms a circular band in said outer surface.
 4. A container as set forth in claim 3 which includes: said lip having a flange extending around the circumference of said body to form an annular ring with an inner surface for frictionally engaging the second crown cap and an outer surface for partially covering said depression.
 5. A container as set forth in claim 1 which includes: said opener having preselected dimensions so that the second crown cap is identical to first crown cap.
 6. A container as set forth in claim 1 which includes: said body being formed from metal.
 7. A container as set forth in claim 6 which includes: said body being formed from aluminum.
 8. A fluid holding apparatus comprising: a first crown cap, a body having a frustum shaped neck portion, a cylindrical base portion, a transition portion positioned between said neck portion and said base portion, and an inner chamber for storing fluids, said neck portion supporting said crown cap with an opening for receiving fluids positioned thereon so that said crown cap closes said opening, said neck portion opening communicating with said inner chamber, said transition portion connecting said neck portion to said base portion to form a continuous frusto-conical outer surface thereon, said base portion including an annular trough extending around a circumference of said outer surface and a lip projecting from said outer surface to cover said trough partially, and said lip and said trough forming an opener for removing a second crown cap from another fluid holding apparatus.
 9. A fluid holding apparatus as set forth in claim 8 which includes: said opener having preselected dimensions so that the second crown cap is identical to first crown cap.
 10. A fluid holding apparatus as set forth in claim 8 which includes: said lip having a flange extending around the circumference of said body to form an annular ring with an inner surface for frictionally engaging the second crown cap and an outer surface for partially covering said trough.
 11. A container as set forth in claim 8 which includes: said body being formed from metal.
 12. A container as set forth in claim 11 which includes: said body being formed from aluminum.
 13. A method for opening bottles comprising the steps of: providing a frusto-conical tubular bottle body having a neck projecting from one end, a base positioned at the opposite end, and a seamless continuous outer surface extending from the neck to the base, forming a channel in the body outer surface in a preselected position along the length of the bottle body with sufficient depth to receive an annular flange extending from a crown shaped bottle cap, and deforming a portion of the outer surface adjacent to the channel to form a lip extending over the channel with an inner surface for frictionally engaging the crown shaped bottle cap.
 14. A method as set forth in claim 13 which includes: inserting liquid into the bottle body.
 15. A method as set forth in claim 14 which includes: closing the bottle body with another crown cap.
 16. A method as set forth in claim 13 which includes: inserting a capped end of a second bottle into the channel, frictionally engaging a crown cap extending from the second bottle capped end with the lip, and rotating an opposite end of the second bottle about the capped end to remove the crown cap from the second bottle. 